UWF Public History Program

Last Updated: October 22, 2026

11000 University Pkwy
Building 50

Pensacola, FL 32514

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Program Introduction

The Public History Program at the University of West Florida began in 1998 and has welcomed an incoming class of ten to sixteen graduate students each year. Our History M.A. program offers three tracks: History, Public History, and Maritime and Coastal History. In collaboration with the living-learning laboratory of Historic Pensacola Village and the UWF Historic Trust, the program offers training in museum studies, oral history, historic preservation, film and new media, heritage tourism, and more. More than one hundred students have graduated from the public history program and are working in the field across the country and internationally.

Degrees Offered

  • B.A. in History
  • M.A. in Public History
  • M.A. in History
  • Other

Program Strengths

  • Digital Media
  • Film/Video
  • Historic Preservation
  • Historical Archaeology
  • Local/Community History
  • Material Culture
  • Museum Studies
  • Oral History
  • Public Policy

Credit Hour Requirements

30

How Many Students are Admitted Annually

MA12

Financial Aid Available

The University of West Florida offers various financial aid options for students, including scholarships, in-state tuition, and grants for degree-seeking students. The Department of History and Philosophy awards several scholarships and teaching assistantships to graduate students.

Deadline To Apply

July 15 (Fall Deadline), November 1 (Spring Deadline), March 1 (Summer Deadline)

Internship Requirements

Practicums serve as a student’s professional capstone experience. Arranged with a host agency, students complete a project, write a comprehensive report (as the foundation of their professional portfolio), and present their experiences in a conference setting. Some practicums are taken as part of a course, while other students find employment as interns in local institutions.

Places Where Students Have Interned During the Past 3 Years

  • Cold War Museum
  • Country Music Hall of Fame
  • Florida State Historic Preservation Office
  • Florida Public Archaeology Network
  • UWF Historic Trust
  • Pensacola Museum of History
  • Independence National Park
  • National Armament Museum
  • National Museum of the United States Navy
  • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
  • National Policy Archives
  • Next Exit History™
  • Smithsonian Institution
  • Yellowstone National Park

Job Placement Assistance

Through the practicum process, students develop connections in the field that help identify places of employment.

Employers Who Have Hired Graduates from this Program within the Past Five Years

  • National Park Service
  • Smithsonian Institution
  • National Museum of Naval Aviation
  • Florida State Historic Preservation Office
  • Florida Legislature
  • U.S. Congress
  • Pensacola Museum of History
  • Numerous museums, historical societies, private environmental firms, and companies

Community & Institutional Connections

  • Florida Public Archaeology Network
  • UWF Historic Trust
  • UWF Archaeology Institute